Brazil; Rio Grande do Sul & Santa Catarina - Day 5

For the first of January, we found ourselves with no real species to target, having cleared up over the past couple of days. The only species left for us was the Chestnut-headed Tanager, a widespread but low-density species that is difficult to see. Fortunately, a pair had recently bred in the garden of the pousada, so we spent our morning waiting for them to appear, which after some time both male and female did. Sadly they were very elusive and difficult to see well, especially the male, and so we were left with unsatisfactory but sufficient views.

After breakfast, we tried a new road but the temperature was already very high and activity in the marshes we found we significantly reduced. We were still able to find both Saffron-cowled Blackbird and Straight-billed Reedhaunter again, but neither came close and activity was generally so slow that I spent half the time photographing the dragonflies feeding along the roadside ponds.

In the afternoon, after a glorious two-hour nap, we returned to the same road, only this time carried on until it turned into Atlantic Forest. The forest here was nice, with a few new Atlantic Forest species for our trip list. These included many Bare-throated Bellbirds singing, although we typically did not see any. We did however get nice views of Blue-Billed Black-Tyrant and Yellow-legged Thrush. A nice way to round out our time here in Sao Francisco de Paula. 

Species List:
São Francisco de Paula: Brown Tinamou, Picazuro Pigeon, White-tipped Dove, Eared Dove, White-collared Swift, Sick's Swift, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Violet-capped Woodnymph, Slaty-breasted Wood Rail, Rufous-sided Crake, Southern Lapwing, Buff-necked Ibis, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Rufous-thighed Kite, Stygian Owl, Green-billed Toucan, White-spotted Woodpecker, Campo Flicker, Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, Pileated Parrot, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Lesser Woodcreeper, Scalloped Woodcreeper, Rufous Hornero, Sharp-billed Treehunter, Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner, Araucaria Tit-Spinetail, Straight-billed Reedhaunter, Olive Spinetail, Blue Manakin, Hooded Berryeater, Bare-throated Bellbird, Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Olivaceous Elaenia, Planalto Tyrannulet, Euler's Flycatcher, Blue-billed Black Tyrant, Black-and-white Monjita, Swainson's Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Chivi Vireo, Azure Jay, Blue-and-white Swallow, Grey-breasted Martin, House Wren, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Yellow-legged Thrush, White-necked Thrush, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Blacksmith Thrush, Hellmayr's Pipit, Green-chinned Euphonia, Hooded Siskin, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Golden-winged Cacique, Saffron-cowled Blackbird, Yellow-rumped Marshbird, Tropical Parula, White-rimmed Warbler, Chestnut-headed Tanager, Grey-throated Warbling Finch, Diademed Tanager, Blue-and-yellow Tanager, Sayaca Tanager, Chestnut-backed Tanager, Uniform Finch, Saffron Finch, Grassland Yellow Finch, Lesser Grass Finch, Pampa Finch, Black-bellied Seedeater, Double-collared Seedeater, Bananaquit, Green-winged Saltator,